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Thursday, January 8, 2015

Movie Review {Into the Woods}

While my kids were still on Christmas break last week it rained and rained for almost a week straight. To get out of the house for a little while one day I took them to the movies to see Into The Woods. They were all intrigued by the plot of four popular fairytales being combined into one story and being a Disney film, I thought for certain this stage play turned movie musical would be done exceptionally well.

The story combines the well-known fairytales of Little Red Riding Hood, Jack and at the Beanstalk, Cinderella, and Rapunzel and connects them all in the woods by a witch and a childless couple who are trying to break a long-standing curse.

The majority of the movie done in song with very little actual monologue, so to catch it all you have to really be paying attention. Some of the lines are incredibly witty and there is definitely some humor weaved in, too. The cast is fantastic and they all deliver a wonderful performance, portraying the beloved characters in their own way and bringing them to life on screen.

What I wasn't prepared for (because I had never seen the stage play) was the dark twist that would occur towards the end of the movie. It showed that the "happily ever after" ending that we all know and love so well, isn't really as happily ever after as we think. Honestly, I could have left the movie and been totally content with the happily ever after ending. Up to that point, I loved it and so did my kids. The second part of the movie goes darker and deeper into the woods has a different and more tragic tone that wouldn't always be appropriate for young kids. Thankfully, most of it went over my kids' heads so it wasn't an issue.

Little Mama (7 years old) absolutely loved the whole movie. Blondie (five years old) was entertained until the dark twist and then she was ready to leave because it had nearly lost her attention. Boo-Boo (3 years old) surprised me by really staying attentive and focused the whole time. At the point where the giant comes down from the beanstalk though, he was incredibly frightened and told me he wanted to leave. I talked him through it saying that everyone would be OK and then he was fine. Later on in the afternoon he asked me why giants lived in the sky so he obviously took that part to heart.

Overall, I would recommend this movie because despite the unexpected ending, I did enjoy it. If you are planning to take your kids I think older children would understand and enjoy it more than younger ones. Just be warned for the darker turn at the end and be prepared to answer a few questions that might come up as a result of that.

Before you go, be sure to check out our White House | Black Market gift card giveaway HERE. Happy Thursday!!!

1 comment:

That movie is definitely a great pick for a family movie day! It’s nice to know that the kids enjoyed the movie, amidst the twist of the character’s happily ever after. Anyway, I wonder what your response was when your youngest asked you about the giants. Haha! I hope you’ll be able to watch more of those kid-friendly movies in the future. Have a great day!

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